The NSPCC Sport podcast

NSPCC Sport
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Welcome to our podcast, where we share safeguarding best practice, lived experience and discuss all things sport and physical activity. Children’s sport should be exciting, fulfilling and fun. But most of all, it should be safe. We believe in building a caring, inclusive culture where children and young people can thrive and enjoy themselves by discovering all kinds of sports and physical activities – whatever their level or ability. We are part of the NSPCC, are funded by the UK sport councils and have been leading the way in safeguarding in sport for over 25 years.    Together, we can make sure that children and young people are safe and can thrive in sport. (Many of our podcasts were recorded under the name the Child Protection in Sport Unit. We became NSPCC Sport in June 2026.) #SafeInSport #NSPCCSport

  1. 07/15/2025

    Safeguarding in community sport and physical activity

    (Recorded under the name The CPSU.) Moving from policies to people  Dive into our latest podcast where we explore the vital role of safeguarding in community sports and physical activities. The discussion features three guests: Anita Stewart, Sport Welfare Officer from Active Norfolk, John Downes, Designated Safeguard Lead from StreetGames, and Ross Podyma, Strategic Director from Sporting Communities. They share insights on the challenges and solutions in safeguarding within community sports.  Key points include:  volunteer confidence: emphasising the need for training and support to make sure volunteers are confident in safeguarding practices  community engagement: highlighting the importance of local partnerships and community involvement in creating safe environments  cultural shift: advocating for a shift from compliance-based safeguarding to a more integrated, welfare-focused approach that puts children first  youth involvement: stressing the importance of involving young people in decision-making and creating environments where they feel safe and valued  Featuring   Liza Ware – Host, NSPCC Sport Senior Safeguarding Consultant   Anita Stewart – Sport Welfare Officer, Active Norfolk  John Downes – Designated Safeguarding Lead, StreetGames  Ross Podyma – Strategic Director, Sporting Communities  Anita Stewart: "I went into an organisation and did a forum with some young people from a disability group in Norfolk, and we were asking them what made them feel safe and what safeguarding meant to them. A young person said, 'when I think of safeguarding, I think of folders, risk assessments and bits of paper.' And then we asked them what makes them feel safe? She said 'people make me feel safe'. And from that we came up with 'Let's move safeguarding from policies to people'."

  2. 05/13/2025

    Online Safety Part 5: How to keep children and young people safe

    (Recorded under the name The CPSU.) Louisa Street—youth worker, PhD candidate, and member of the HeadStart Kernow Digital Resilience Project—sits down with NSPCC Sport Senior Digital Content Editor Sam to answer key questions about online safety in sport. We cover: how top athletes can promote themselves on social media without compromising safety  how sports clubs can use photos responsibly while keeping participants protected  how clubs can take a harm reduction approach to instant messaging apps  how to respond to online bullying disclosures  We also explore setting boundaries across digital platforms, informed consent, photo selection and the importance of working alongside parents and carers to create safe spaces for young athletes.  Most importantly, we highlight why listening to young people and putting them at the centre of decision-making is key to safeguarding in sport.  Tune in now and make online safety a priority in your club or organisation!  💬Featuring:  Samantha Lawrence – Host, NSPCC Sport Senior Digital Content Editor   Louisa Street – Youth worker, a PhD candidate and a member of the HeadStart Kernow Digital Resilience Project in Cornwall  Listen to the full Online Safety series here.  💻Make sure you visit the website for the latest information and guidance about safeguarding in sport.

  3. 02/06/2025

    Online Safety Part 4 - Building Resilience and Reducing Harm

    (Recorded under the name The CPSU.) In this episode, they explore how adults can support children and young people in reducing harm and building digital resilience in the online world.  Samantha and Louisa discuss:    why prohibition doesn’t work  the harm reduction principle and its application to online safety  concerns young people have about the online world  how adults can respond if a child or young person is worried about their online safety  💬Featuring:  Samantha Lawrence – Host, NSPCC Sport Senior Digital Content Editor  Louisa Street – Youth Worker and PHD Candidate and member of the Headstart Kernow Digital Resilience Project in Cornwall.  Listen to the full Online Safety series.Make sure you visit the website for the latest information and guidance about safeguarding in sport.

  4. 02/05/2025

    Online Safety Part 3 - Cyberbullying in Sport

    (Recorded under the name The CPSU.) Bullying has been raised as a big concern for children, particularly in the online space, so it is vital that we understand how to handle it and what actions we need to take to keep children and young people safe.You can't get away from social media in a sport and setting, but we should never forget our safeguards and responsibilities. As safeguarders, we must take time to carefully think through the different types of risks that children and young people may be exposed to in a virtual sport setting.This podcast was originally recorded in May 2020 but has been repurposed for use in November 2024. Joined by host Helen and NSPCC Safety Officer Laura, we take a look at:  examples of how to deal with cyberbullying in your club  why cyberbullying in sport may be different  what young people should consider before posting messages online  what young people should do if they receive abusive content  Always remember; if you're concerned or you're upset. Speak to someone that you know. Speak to a family member. Speak to somebody that you trust in a professional environment and seek that help. Featuring: Helen Westerman – Host, NSPCC  Liza Ware – NSPCC Sport Senior Consultant Laura Randall – NSPCC Online Safety Strategy Team Listen to our previous episodes: Part 1 - Online Safety for the Sport and Activity Sector - Social Media and Online Platforms Part 2 - Online Safety for the Sport and Activity Sector - Sharing Images Online Make sure you visit the website for the latest information and guidance about safeguarding in sport.

  5. 01/08/2025

    Safeguarding at Sports Events

    (Recorded under the previous name, the CPSU.) In this podcast, we discuss how you can make sure that your sports event stays safe for all children and young people by putting the right safeguarding policies and procedures in place.We'll be talking to Michelle North, former Head of CPSU and Senior Consultant, about the safeguarding needs for different sized sporting events, as well as what needs to be looked at pre, during and post sport event to help guarantee everyone involved has a safe and enjoyable experience. how to start the safeguarding process at sport events what to include in your events safeguarding policy sport event planning, risk assessments, getting information together before the event codes of conduct for sport events permission slips overnight stays first aid A sporting event can cover all kinds of games or matches; from a rounders match on the village green to the Olympics; it could involve 2 teams, it could be a multi-team event or it could be international. Safeguarding measures need to be in place regardless of the size of the event.

  6. 01/08/2025

    DBS Checks in Sport – Your Questions Answered

    (Recorded under the name the CPSU.) Listen to Part Two of our dive into the basics of DBS checks (if you missed Part One, take a listen here). We asked our sport and activity audience to send in questions about DBS checks to Linda and Helen, in this episode we find out: what levels of check are required? do sport parents need to be DBS checked? what is a referral? how and when should sports refer? how long does the DBS keep information? Understanding the need for DBS checks is just part of safeguarding in sport, subscribe to our Podcast for the latest developments, information and guidance. 💬 Featuring: Mel Addams and Lian Gaten – Information Officers Linda and Helen – Disclosure and Barring Service 💻Make sure you visit the website for the latest information and guidance about safeguarding in sport

  7. 01/08/2025

    DBS Checks in Sport – The Basics

    (Recorded under the name the CPSU.) Safeguarding in sport is all about protecting young people, anyone undertaking a role that involves contact with or responsibility for children (or other vulnerable groups such as adults at risks) should be taken through a safer recruitment process, a DBS check being one of the key onboarding procedures. We speak to Helen and Linda from the Disclosure and Barring Service about the different levels of check available, who's eligible and how checks are carried out as well as the importance of safer recruitment and how this helps safeguarding in sport. Take a listen to find out the answers to these questions: what is a DBS check? how does a DBS check help protect young and vulnerable people how do you get a DBS check done? how long is the DBS process? what makes someone eligible for different levels of DBS check? 💬 Featuring: Mel Addams and Lian Gaten – Information Officers Linda and Helen – Disclosure and Barring Service 🎧 Listen to our previous episodes: DBS Checks - Your Questions Answered💻Make sure you visit the website for the latest information and guidance about safeguarding in sport

  8. 01/08/2025

    The Basics of Safeguarding

    In this podcast we explore the basics of what safeguarding actually means within the sport and activity world. Looking at what steps sports clubs and organisations need to take to ensure they're effectively safeguarding children and young people in the sector. We look into: why safeguarding in sport is so important the different types of abuse in sport and how to spot them how to create and implement a safeguarding policy putting safeguarding measures in place finding out what safeguarding training is right for you and your club the risks of not doing anything how to raise and deal with a safeguarding concern Whether you've just started on your safeguarding journey, or are listening to this podcast as a refresher, we'll have you getting to grips with the basics of safeguarding in sport in no time. 💬 Featuring: Mel Addams, Lian Gaten and Laura Young –  Information Officers Jude Toasland – Senior Consultant Make sure you visit the website for the latest information and guidance about safeguarding in sport.

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About

Welcome to our podcast, where we share safeguarding best practice, lived experience and discuss all things sport and physical activity. Children’s sport should be exciting, fulfilling and fun. But most of all, it should be safe. We believe in building a caring, inclusive culture where children and young people can thrive and enjoy themselves by discovering all kinds of sports and physical activities – whatever their level or ability. We are part of the NSPCC, are funded by the UK sport councils and have been leading the way in safeguarding in sport for over 25 years.    Together, we can make sure that children and young people are safe and can thrive in sport. (Many of our podcasts were recorded under the name the Child Protection in Sport Unit. We became NSPCC Sport in June 2026.) #SafeInSport #NSPCCSport

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